


Hvor Som Helst

by Halmaithor



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Feelings, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:07:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24058699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Halmaithor/pseuds/Halmaithor
Summary: ‘I have something to show you,’ Magnus says, and Alec looks up just in time to see him gently toss a flat leather pouch onto the breakfast table. ‘If something catastrophic happens, and our life comes crashing down around us, this is our way out.’Shortly after their wedding, Magnus shows Alec his last-resort contingency plan.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 18
Kudos: 160
Collections: Shadowhunters Fic-A-Thon 2020





	Hvor Som Helst

‘I have something to show you,’ Magnus says, and Alec looks up just in time to see him gently toss a flat leather pouch onto the breakfast table, before taking his usual seat.

Alec reaches out and takes the folder. The surface is smooth and dark, worn a little hard over time. ‘What is it?’ he asks, beginning to unwind the braided leather tied around the front toggle – and hesitating when the whole thing starts to buzz faintly, like a lamp with a faulty wire.   
‘Don’t worry, the protection spell’s keyed to let you access it,’ Magnus reassures him. ‘As for what it is… well, it’s my getaway plan.’   
Alec raises an eyebrow. ‘Thought you already did the whole _runaway groom_ thing?’   
Magnus chuckles. ‘Not that kind of a getaway plan – though remind me to show you _Gone Girl_ at some point. This is more of a… _break glass in case of emergency_ situation.’ His demeanor shifts, turning a little more serious. ‘If something catastrophic happens, and our life comes crashing down around us, this is our way out.’

Alec opens the case the rest of the way, startling a little as a wave of magic rushes over him, sparking a shiver. ‘That’s quite a spell,’ he comments.   
Magnus nods. ‘Most people who live longer than a century take the time to develop one of these plans,’ he says quietly, ‘just in case something from the past rears its ugly head. But they rely on complete secrecy. Not even Catarina has seen this, nor I hers.’ He smiles. ‘But, we’re married now, and so I thought you ought to know.’

Alec smiles back, and lets the case fall open, the edges stretching out of their concertina. He pulls out the biggest pieces of paper first, recognising the birth certificates – one for _William Johnson,_ one for _Jacob Taylor –_ and a marriage certificate, but only certain parts of the other documentation, because he doesn’t read… ‘Swedish?’ he hazards a guess.

‘Norwegian,’ Magnus corrects. ‘I thought Norway would be a good place to start over, if need be. For starters, there are some excellent ley lines towards the north of the country. And my extended residence in New York is the exception, not the rule – I tend to prefer sunnier climes, so anyone from my past trying to find me isn’t likely to start in Scandinavia.’   
‘Makes sense.’ Alec reaches into the folder once more, this time pulling out a couple of passports. ‘American?’ he asks. ‘Won’t that stand out a little in the middle of Europe?’   
‘Well, we communicate in American English, darling,’ Magnus points out. ‘I think it’s best that our passports lend that a little context.’   
‘Good point,’ Alec admits. ‘Though now I know about this, I should probably learn Norwegian, huh? Secretly, of course.’ He flips open one of the passports, huffing in amused indignation. Honestly, if they have to use this contingency, the main thing that could give them away is that _“Jacob Johnson”_ appears to be the only person on Earth who’s managed to look attractive in his passport photo. ‘Aw,’ Alec teases, _‘Jacob Johnson._ You took my name, then?’   
Magnus rolls his eyes, but he looks fond. ‘I took your name in real life too, Alexander.’   
Alec laughs quietly, in half-amusement, half-joy. The novelty of being a _Lightwood-Bane_ hasn’t quite worn off yet.

He folds the passport back up, putting everything back in the folder and retying the toggle, then sliding the secure case back over to Magnus. ‘Thank you for showing me,’ he says softly. He feels the momentous weight of trust on his shoulders; the gentle urge to cradle this act of faith like it’s made of spun glass, precious and fragile.   
Magnus smiles, shaking his head. ‘You don’t need to thank me, Alexander. You’re a part of this plan, after all.’ He huffs a laugh, looking down at where his hands are fiddling gently with the case’s toggle. ‘Really, it was high time you knew about it.’   
_‘High time?’_ Alec asks, curiosity piqued. ‘How long have you had this plan?’

‘Oh, decades now,’ Magnus says airily. ‘Changing it too regularly would just confuse things.’ He looks up, meeting Alec’s gaze again with a faint smile. ‘As for your part in it… I added that the day after Valentine attacked the Institute,’ he says – a little sheepish, but sure, too. ‘When you first told me that you loved me.’   
Alec’s silent for a moment, stunned. ‘That’s… that was pretty early on,’ he says, a smile creeping across his face.

Magnus still looks slightly embarrassed, but he shrugs nonchalantly. ‘Well, I wanted you to have the option,’ he says. ‘But yes, it was early, I suppose. That’s why I didn’t tell you until now – I thought it best that our cover personas were married, because the legal and financial benefits of that would make certain things easier when establishing our new lives. But outside of that hypothetical, in our _real_ life, I didn’t want to seem… presumptuous.’ He smirks. ‘Obviously, that’s not really an issue now.’   
Alec chuckles. ‘Yeah, I get why you waited. I might have thought it was some sort of really weird proposal.’   
They laugh at the imagined awkwardness; though privately, Alec’s not so sure he would have said _no,_ early days or not. It’s not like they’ve ever been the kind of couple to take things slow.

Magnus gets to his feet, banishing the folder with a wave of his hand. ‘In any case,’ he says brightly, pulling Alec to his feet as well. ‘Hopefully we’ll never have to use it. But if we do… Well, now you know.’   
‘Now I know,’ Alec agrees, keeping ahold of Magnus’ hands. ‘For now – as long as we’re still in New York,’ he says with a grin, ‘why don’t we take advantage? We could head out to Thompson Park for the day.’

Magnus eagerly agrees to that plan, and an hour later they’re wandering through the quieter trails of the park, hand-in-hand, warm in their scarves and under the early winter sun.   
The contingency plan stays at the back of Alec’s mind – but as a reassurance, almost, not a worry. The Shadow World is a dangerous place, and it’s nice knowing that no matter what goes wrong, there’s a plan in place for how they can make it through together.

He doesn’t know any Norwegian, he knows next to nothing about Scandinavian culture, and he has no idea what their lives would look like in that eventuality. But somehow, it doesn’t matter; because he looks at Magnus – their intertwined fingers, the gentle smile on his lips, the sunlight catching his eyes – and something inside Alec whispers a truth with utter, unflinching certainty.

_I’d follow you anywhere._

**Author's Note:**

> (You have NO idea how long I spent choosing those names, lol.)   
> Thank you for reading! <3 
> 
> [Find me on tumblr: silver-latin-and-salt :)](https://silver-latin-and-salt.tumblr.com)


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